Bengals Walkthru: Running back rotation a work in progress

Bengals running back Giovani Bernard joins Paul Daugherty on the Hot Seat segment of Beyond The Stripes, presented by JosephAuto.com.
The Enquirer

The three-headed rotation at running back is still being worked out, and Michael Johnson hosted a very important gathering on his off day.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) finds running room in the second quarter during the Week 3 NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

Outside of the offensive line, how the Cincinnati Bengals were going to integrate rookie Joe Mixon into the offensive scheme with an entrenched starter in Jeremy Hill and one of the best dual-purpose backs in the league in Giovani Bernard was the question I received most often in training camp.

It was an unanswerable question outside of saying “Hill would be the starter” because former offensive coordinator Ken Zampese kept his plan for the trio very quiet. And, for the most part, so has current coordinator Bill Lazor – outside of saying he’d like to get a running back in some kind of rhythm.

Here’s how the snap counts, touches and productivity has broken down:

What does all that mean?

It means, for now, all three backs will continue to be utilized. Lazor has never worked with more than two backs in his coaching career but simply said having three is something he doesn’t think about.

“That's not on my mind," he said. "That's for Marvin (Lewis)."

The run game hasn’t been overly effective on paper, with more rushes that have been dropped for negative yards than runs of seven yards or more. But, the offensive line feels that is a work in progress and Lazor said it’s a process of finding elements that lead to consistent success.

But part of creating a “rushing game” can be utilizing the backs in short pass patterns and letting them run after the catch.

“I think it helps them make big plays when they're in space,” Lazor said. “One of the big challenges for the staff is to get them in space in the run game and sometimes we can do it in the pass game, too. But I think all three of our guys can run and have proven to make big plays if there's space. Some weeks there will be better matchups than others and sometimes you have to hide them and sometimes you can just line them up at receiver and let them run routes.”

Michael Johnson: Part of the solution

Michael Johnson brought kids and law enforcement together to educate one another.(Photo: The Michael Johnson Foundation)

In the locker room following the Bengals’ victory over Cleveland, a reporter asked Adam Jones about the Bengals’ decision to link arms during the national anthem the last two weeks (and the decision for others to not do so) and Jones mentioned how there is a profound respect for the military among the players – and noted how Michael Johnson’s father, Samuel, was awarded a Purple Heart after being wounded by a land mine during his service in the Marines in Vietnam.

“He did all that at a time when as you know, African-Americans didn’t have the same rights in America, but he was still over there fighting for the country,” Johnson said.

Johnson talked to his father a year ago when Colin Kaepernick sat, then kneeled, during the anthem to bring awareness to police brutality and racial injustice, and it helped the Bengals’ defensive lineman think about how he could help find a solution.

“We talked about it last year and I discussed with him and he made a good statement saying that Colin started the movement and started the conversation and he said now it’s up for everybody else to go out and start putting forth the action to improve,” Johnson said. “I think that comes down to everybody, black or white, looking in the mirror, and saying ‘what can I do to be a part of the solution?’”

So, Johnson got to work by bringing law enforcement and children together here in Cincinnati.

“Racism and stuff – that’s taught and passed down,” Johnson said Sunday in Cleveland. “So just like it’s taught and passed down, it can be unlearned. You’ve got to go out and make a continuous effort. Be the best you can be and come down and just do unto others as you would have them do unto you and just respect each person regardless of race, religion, whatever.

“It’s not easy. It’s not something that’s going to be seen and happen overnight. But, with continued talks and continued efforts and actions – and I stress actions. Myself and Carlos (Dunlap), we enjoy doing stuff where we get to bring law enforcement and kids together in the community to have conversations and talk about different situations. It puts the children at ease and we also learn as well. It also helps the law enforcement get even better in touch with the community. It’s a two-way street.

“As long we continue to keep working towards mutual respect and just being better all the way around, we’ll get there.”

(Speaking of Dunlap, the Bengals defensive linemen took his anti-bullying campaign on the road to Cleveland last Saturday. He met with close to two-dozen kids at a Boys and Girls Club to read and promote his anti-bullying efforts in Cincinnati and in each of the three other cities in the AFC North.)